Former President Jerry John Rawlings is angry over the violence-laden Talensi by-election on Tuesday, in which the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, B.T. Baba emerged winner. He wants perpetrators of the violence punished to serve as deterrent to others.
No arrests have been made by the police yet, thereby rubbishing the request of Mr Rawlings.
The NDC founder said, “A strong message has to be sent to persons intent on institutionalising violence, especially during election periods. The security agencies should enforce the law without fear or favour and without any political bias whatsoever.”
The former president expressed the concern in the wake of the violence that erupted between supporters of the NDC and the NPP during the by-election in the Upper East Region.
He said news about the situation in Talensi was a matter of grave concern and that the law enforcement agencies should act with dispatch to apprehend all those known to have participated in the acts of violence, assault, shooting and vandalism.
Some members of the NDC and the NPP engaged in a free-for-all fight amid gunshots in the Talensi constituency on Tuesday, leading to some casualties, in spite of the huge presence of police and military personnel as well as other security agents.
There were concealed weapons in some vehicles that were entering the area and the security agencies were able to intercept some of them, even though they surprisingly did not arrest persons possessing the weapons and allowed them to go unpunished.
There were reports of attacks on high profile personalities of both the NPP and the NDC.
The NPP’s First Vice Chairman, Freddie Blay and former General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka Sir John, were among those who were attacked by thugs believed to be connected to the NDC’s Azorka boys. The top party men were monitoring the election in some remote areas of the constituency when they were attacked.
The Builsa North District Chief Executive’s official vehicle was also vandalised by some youth in front of the NPP constituency office.
NDC’s notorious Azorka boys stormed the constituency with their leader, Sofo Azorka, who is the party’s Northern Regional chairman, and allegedly attacked NPP supporters in broad daylight in the presence of the police and the Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo, who has since justified the attack.
No Arrest
However, the police say nobody has been arrested in connection with the bloody attacks.
“We also mounted snap checks at strategic locations within the constituency and all highways leading to the constituency. Our intelligence teams were also firmly on the ground.
“Generally, these policing strategies and measures worked perfectly, with isolated incidents of violence which we condemn in no uncertain terms. Indeed, at various snap check points, a number of offensive weapons, including cudgels, cutlasses, daggers, guns and ammunition were seized from a number of individuals.
“All the holders of the offensive weapons were properly identified for purposes of further investigations and possible prosecution. They were thereafter allowed to participate in the process and exercise their franchise where applicable, after we established that they posed no further security threats,” a statement from the Police Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service and signed by DCOP David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, Director-General, pointed out.
The statement said henceforth all political vigilante groups would not be tolerated, naming such groups as Azorka boys, Bamba boys, Invincible Forces and Bolga bull.
“The police recognises the constitutional rights of individuals to form and belong to associations, as provided in Article 21 (1) of the 1992 Constitution. However, we want to emphasise that it is unlawful for political parties, groups, organisations or individuals to encourage the formation of vigilante groups and other associations that assume the character of a security organisation, unless that person, group or organisation has been granted a licence for that purpose under Police Service (Private Security Organisation) Regulation, 1992 (LI 1571),” the statement cautioned.
<<Print>>